A Tradition Reborn

Domenick Calicchio may best be remembered as a master craftsman and instrument maker, but did you know that he also made fine custom mouthpieces? Domenick used traditional tooling and methods, and did not keep many notes or diagrams of these unique pieces, but he crafted fabulous custom mouthpieces - by hand- for his friends and for the best players of the day. The new Calicchio mouthpieces are made from new tooling developed from Domenick’s original drawings, in a modern manufacturing environment.

This is a contemporary version of the famous one-of-a-kind custom mouthpiece hand-crafted by Domenick Calicchio for Maynard Ferguson in 1955.

Born in Verdun, Quebec, Maynard began his career in Canada, and moved to the US in 1948. After stints with the bands of Boyd Raeburn, Jimmy Dorsey, and Charlie Barnet, he came to public prominence with the Stan Kenton Orchestra from 1949 to 1953. He won the Down Beat Readers' Poll as best trumpeter in 1950, 1951, and 1952. Maynard moved to Hollywood, CA in late 1953, enticed by a first-call contract with Paramount Pictures. Maynard played on 46 Paramount movie soundtracks, most notably, The Ten Commandments. It was in Hollywood where he met master mouthpiece maker Domenick Calicchio. Domenick worked with Maynard to create his custom original mouthpiece, which Maynard then performed and recorded with until 1961.

In 1990, at an MF band rehearsal in preparation for the "Live in London" tour, Maynard gifted his original custom-made Calicchio mouthpiece to his then- lead trumpet player, Roger Ingram. According to what Maynard told Roger when he gave him the original, he played this mouthpiece on everything he recorded from 1955 through 1961. Most mouthpieces he played thereafter were directly inspired by that V-shaped cup made for him by Domenick.

A partial list of the numerous recordings Maynard made while using that original, hand-made mouthpiece includes the famous Birdland Dreamband albums, and fabulous Roulette releases like Newport Suite and Maynard ‘61.

Often referred to in hushed tones as the “Holy Grail”, that famous MF mouthpiece has been updated for the modern player. The L-62 is a mouthpiece many will find more practical and playable than previous, or other incarnations. The mouthpiece length is standard and the interior contour re-imagined for today’s intonation standards. Other specifications include:

• Domenick’s favorite flat rim, which gives the player cleaner articulation and improved accuracy

• The “original” MF cup - a slightly bowl-shaped shallow V 0.620” inside diameter

• Throat size is a standard # 27

• Calicchio Backbore No. 1 - with “straight” interior contour

These mouthpieces are finely machined and the finishing work is superb. The packaging tube is environmentally responsible. With your purchase, you will have bragging rights that you are directly supporting the effort to not only save Calicchio Musical Instruments, but also to highlight the contributions Domenick Calicchio made to the industry.